<p>I just recently took the SATs for the second time and got my scores back. While I was really happy my score had jumped up from a composite 1910 to 2050 (new scores - m: 740, r:690, w:620), I noticed that I did horribly on my essay - I got a 5/12!.</p>
<p>I am wondering whether the 5/12 will hurt my application, since many colleges can see the essay score (or read the essay, arg!!!!). I am even more worried because I feel as if they may raise some doubt after reading my supplemental essays (which I believe are substantially better). I'm sure that an essay score of 5/12 would hurt anyway.</p>
<p>My essay score for the SAT I took first was an 8/12, and my overall writing score was a 660, which is better than the one I just got. Would colleges see my new, worse writing score and the essay, or only the best one, which would be the first one. Also, would such a low score raise eyebrows?</p>
<p>By the way, I have no idea how I got such a low score on my essay. My essay had a decent structure (intro, s. para 1, s. para 2, conc) and was over one page. I think it might have been something I briefly mentioned about U.S. foreign intervention - in retrospect such a stupid idea...., but it was all I could think of.</p>
<p>The prompt was something like whether it is better to help one's state than it is to help another.</p>
<p>I took a look at those, but I’m still don’t know whether that lower writing-score (not included in my super-score) would hurt my application, as I only got a 5/12 on the essay. I understand that while universities look at the super-score, they can see the individual test scores as well, including the score for the essay portion of the writing section.</p>
<p>I’m also a little confused. I read through those threads, but I’ve looked on Collegeboard’s website and it says that an essay cannot be regraded. The score itself will be checked. </p>
<p>I find the essay score absolutely ridiculous. I am going to take a look at it tomorrow, when it is released. I do not think that it deserved only a combined score of 5.</p>
<p>meoda - My point was that you are one of many, many people complaining about an exceedingly low essay score. Now perhaps you just did badly on the essay (always a possibility, unfortunately), but it is also possible that there was a problem with the electronic recording of the essay scores. In other words, perhaps Jane Smith’s readers gave her a 12 on her essay, but when that 12 was entered into the electronic system, it was misread as a 6. If it were to turn out that there was such a problem, then the score you’re seeing MIGHT not be the score you actually received.</p>
<p>If and when the more detailed score reports are released, we’ll know more. But the hurricane may delay that release.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand. I got my score report and saw that two scores for my essay are 2 and 3. If there was some error like you mentioned, then should I call them? Sending in a request for verification would take too long as I’m applying early decision (and even if I wasn’t, I don’t think it would come in time - 5-6 weeks, then 2 weeks to rush). On those threads it looks like no one had any luck with calling in.</p>
<p>Luckily, colleges generally pay almost no attention to the essay results due to inconsistent grading criteria and the belief that an essay format can be taught that will generate a decent score.</p>
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<p>First, calling won’t do any good at all. If you want to pay $55 for score verification (for the essay only), that’s up to you, and it will take as long as it takes.</p>
<p>Second, before you do anything, look at the actual essay. It’s there in your online score report somewhere. (If you click on the button for printing out the entire score report, that should make it easier to find the essay.) If you can’t be objective, ask someone else to look at it for you. Before you start complaining about the score you got, make sure it wasn’t deserved. Despite your best efforts, it’s possible the essay just didn’t come out the way you’d hoped.</p>
<p>The ideal format is opening paragraph, three example paragraphs, and conclusion. No errors in grammar, spelling or word use. The essay must respond directly to the question that was asked. Did you do ALL of these things?</p>
<p>Well I understand that. I’ve read my essay - after doing which I stated above (in my last post) that I didn’t think I deserved such scores. No, I didn’t use three supporting paragraphs, but the two I did use answered the question, and I only caught a few grammatical mistakes.</p>
<p>I also had understood that calling didn’t work as it didn’t work for anyone else on the threads you mentioned. </p>
<p>I will ask someone else to grade the essay. My second example made sense but might have been offending/on a bad topic. I’ll see what others have to say.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>no one cares about writing by itself. Its either M+R or M+R+W.</p>